#AdventBookClub 2013: Day 1 (Time-Shifting)

#AdventBookClub 2013: Day 1 (Time-Shifting)

So, as the first of December comes to a close, once again I’m pulling together my thoughts from #adventbookclub… and thanks so much to @maggidawn for putting the first day’s material online – now I just need to see if I can pop into the office tomorrow to pick up the full book which I took off the shelf, and left on the desk…

On reading today’s material, however, it appears that no need to rush for a deadline – although I’d like to be joining in alongside Pam et al for that sense of ‘community engagement’ 🙂

“Certainly Christmas can sometimes feel less like a feast to be celebrated and more like a deadline to be reached.”

“All too often we have this dislocated feeling of being out of time, out of step, and Christmas is a particularly difficult season to negotiate if you don’t feel like celebrating. It’s not only the Church but the whole culture that feeds us an exaggerated image of happiness and celebration, which sets us up to feel very low if we are not in the party mood. Most of our life is lived in this in-between place, where things come early or late, but never on time.”

“God’s gifts do not always come according to our timetable or at the moment when we think we need them”

” I hope I do become the kind of person who remembers to send gifts that someone will love, instead of gifts to satisfy a deadline.”

Having moved up north, and got used to being more prepared (it saves a fortune in travel!), I do know that I’m going to my parents for Christmas (many recent years I’ve been abroad for Christmas), and it will be quiet – a chance to think about things! I’m using the rest of the semester (aka til end Jan) to try and get back on top of things – and making good progress… tonight I have pretty much done my Christmas presents – fortunately we focus more on thoughts than costs – and maybe next year I’ll be back to spotting things throughout the year … maybe I should take a leaf out of Auntie Margaret’s book and just send them when seen!!

A thought prompted by this TV advert – let’s hope that we aren’t like all these guys with smartphones – you know me – I love a smartphone … but also – let’s experience presence:

As the heart/brain seek to prepare for Christmas through a time of Advent, at work I’m deeply into preparing a Lent course – so that sense of fragmented time is definitely there – but the joy of engaging with material online is that we can each do it at our own pace – many of my #adventbookclub friends are probably asleep… and I need to go shortly, but these are great thoughts to go to bed with!

I started reading this before I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and have finished it the week after surgery. It's been a beautifully gentle book that I've carried along to several sessions sat in a waiting room! I've followed Katharine...

I enjoyed this book, and found it gave hopeful insights into what to expect following the authors desire to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I like her practice of seeking 'silver linings' every day rather than 'woe is me', a...

I've had enough concentration today to actually read - having had a mastectomy last week. This book is written by a friend - bought it earlier this year not realising how resonant it would be. I have found it really helpful to read - rec...